Letters to the editor

I am appalled at the lack of leadership that the president and the Congress are showing regarding the upcoming sequester that is scheduled to go into effect on March 1.

If the president were an effective leader, he would be calling Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi and Eric Cantor into his office to negotiate a compromise. He is more interested in scoring political victories and embarrassing the Republicans than he is in solving our pressing problems.

While the president should bear the brunt of the blame, Congress must also share a piece of the blame.

In the Senate, Harry Reid has refused on many occasions even to bring bills passed in the House to a Senate vote. The Senate has not approved a budget for the past several years. The House Republicans have indicated some willingness on occasions to bend somewhat in their positions, but the Senate Democrats have been unwilling to bend in their positions. Again, they seem to be more interested in scoring political victories than in doing what is in the best interest of our country.

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to see that we cannot continue to spend more money than we take in. The solution will not be easy, and the sacrifices may be painful, but if we do not address this problem, we may be on the way to financial Armageddon.

PHIL BURNS

Savannah

Bacon Park GC’s history deserves more attention

The subject of the Bacon Park Golf Course has been a topic of late as the present lease agreement will terminate at the end of this year.

I spent a lot of my growing up years at Bacon as a young golfer and what great memories I have. I remember the course being run by Mr. Tommy Ryle, who had a great affection for the junior golfers. Every golfer who entered the door had a friend in Shorty Cooper and the memory of him shooting the course record to beat the infamous Joe Louis in a golf match still lingered.

Shorty was a wonderful man and I will never forget him.

What made Bacon such a wonderful golf course was the layout itself. It was built by the most famous of designers, Donald Ross.

It didn’t take long playing the course to see the genius of the design and to understand the remarkable talents of Mr. Ross.

This fact alone makes Bacon a national golf treasure.

I hope the city will understand what they have and will appreciate the historic significance of Bacon. My hope is that the city will give it the proper attention it so richly deserves.

JIMMIE STRICKLAND

Savannah

Time to play golf, no time for country

So there was Michelle Obama on the Jimmy Fallon late-night show jiving and bopping, and again giving the Best Picture award at the Oscars, and there was her husband, the president, golfing with Tiger Woods, and vacationing yet again, while a slavish media whoops, hollers and has convinced half of the country that this is what leadership is all about.

Really?

ANNE DAVIES LOSSING

Savannah

Parade committee makes fine pick for marshal

I was so happy to wake up to the headlines of Jimmy Ray being named the grand marshal for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

I know Jimmy very well and went to BC with him. I have no doubt the Irish community is very happy and proud to select him. He has always been a class act and someone I am proud to call a friend.

I know his father, Mr. Charlie Ray, a former grand marshal himself, will be looking down on him with pride. I hope he has a great day.

God bless you on your day in the Irish community.

MIKE COHEN

Savannah

Gore protester outlines ‘uncomfortable facts’

I would hope that Sally Klein (letter to the editor, Feb. 24) would look beyond a misspelled word of an Al Gore protestor to understand the real issue.

Gore, who is one of the top proponents of climate change, recently sold his Current TV for $500 million to Al Jazeera, which is financed by oil rich Qatar.

The uncomfortable facts are as follows: The Emir of Qatar, who owns Al Jazeera, donated $400 million to Hamas, an organization that has been designated a terrorist group by the U.S. Department of State.

Al Jazeera has demonstrated itself to be a channel for indoctrination of organizations such as Hamas, al-Qaeda and Hezbollah. In this case, look into videotaped confessions of captured terrorists who have stated it inspired violence against Americans.

These are just a few reasons to call your representatives in congress and demand an investigation by Homeland Security into this transaction.

When those standing in line to see Al Gore were asked if they wanted a copy of the facts regarding the deal someone said, “Better Al Jazeera than Fox News.”

The majority said nothing. Yes, “words and silence speak volumes.”

SUZANNE SHATTUCK

Savannah

Ray family appreciates all the support, concern

The Ray family would like to personally thank all who attended the funeral of Charles R. Ray III. We sincerely thank you all for your concern and support you gave our family.

We also want to thank and commend the Savannah-Chatham Metro Police department, Effingham County Sheriff’s Department and the SWAT team for your hard work and professionalism. We honor you for risking your lives in service to the community.

All of your support is truly appreciated and is helping to pull our family through this difficult time.

The consolation we have is to believe that Charlie is with our Lord in heaven and free of the suffering and torment he endured throughout his life.

Charlie never lost hope that he would one day get better and live a normal life. We made countless trips over the past 17 years to Emory University in Atlanta to see his neurologists, Dr. Juncos, Dr. Delong and Dr. Gross.

Three deep brain stimulation surgeries were performed on Charlie during that time.

Charlie, we know you are in heaven smiling down with your grandparents, Pop and Mimi, pain-free and wiped away of your life altering Tourette’s syndrome.

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Jimmy Ray is not a unanimous choice for Grand Marshal because of a lack of qualified competition; he is a model man: former Marine sergeant, having served in Okinawa, the Philippines and Vietnam, a devout Catholic, and a fourth generation Savannah Irishman. His list of memberships in religious, military and civic organizations is lengthy, and he is a pillar of our community. That he follows another class act, contractor Tim Ansley, says a lot about the Irish Catholic community of Savannah at a time when this city could use all the togetherness it can muster.

have a crisis and a crossroads in our experiment with self government called the United States. And the prevailing attitude among the electorate and the elected seems to be "once adrift remain adrift". That may seem cynical and it is. Unless the sacred cows of SS, Medicare, and Medicaid are assaulted the drift will accelerate and become ruin. That may seem prophetic and it is. The most sacred cow is the Cow of Compromise. We've been there and tried that. Sixteen trillion dollars ago.

You are so right, Seems as all the politicians are in office to score political victories. They got in office now they want to make a career of it. They only look for what is in it for themselves. Who can throw the most money their way to be re-elected.